The present invention relates to a faucet valve adapted for removable insertion in a valve body used for control of the flow of fluid through a faucet. The valve includes control elements made of two discs in intimate movable contact with one another along a common interface. One disc is fixed in position and is provided with one or several inlet apertures for connection at one end to the inlet channel of a valve body. The other end of each inlet aperture is set against the adjacent face of the second disc. The second disc is movably arranged on the first disc and has one or several passage apertures which can be partially or completely overlapped with the inlet apertures in the first disc or shutoff or blocked by means of the surface of the first disc where apertures are not located. Both discs are housed in a sleeve and the combination is connected to one end of a spindle. The combined sleeve, discs and spindle as a unit can be removably inserted into and out of a valve body. The sleeve has at least one outlet aperture adapted to be in communication with the valve body outlet when inserted therein. Inserts for stabilizing the flow through the valve are arranged at a predetermined position in the passageway between the inlet apertures in the first disc and the outlet apertures of the sleeve.
Valves for controlling the rate of flow of fluid from an inlet to an outlet are well known, particularly in the faucet or plumbing fixture art. Examples are present in Swiss Pat. No. 574,067 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,416. In accordance with known prior art teachings of this type, a first and second ceramic disc are employed and are tightly positioned against one another to create a common interface. Each disc has a number of apertures so that the fluid can flow from inlet to outlet when the apertures of the two discs are overlapped to be partially or fully aligned. If the apertures in the two discs are shifted so that they are no longer at all in alignment, interruption of fluid flow is the result. As shown in the above patents, it is common in the art to provide a valve where the first or upper disc is maintained stationary and the second or lower disc is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the interface between the discs and without having to space the discs from one another. A clamp or a spider having a number of fingers or legs is a part of the rotational structure and engages against the peripheral surface of the lower disc distal from the upper disc to cause the lower disc to be rotated when the clamp or spider is rotated. In this manner, it is possible to change the relative positions of the apertures in the lower disc in relation to the corresponding apertures in the upper disc. The clamp is connected with a spindle extending through central apertures of the discs.
Designs of this type are clearly workable in principle as experience has proven. However, they are noise-sensitive because of the comparably high flow speeds and turbulences at the control edges of the disc apertures in the flow path between the inlet and outlet. This is caused by relatively small operating cross sections. Therefore, inserts of a number of wire gratings in the form of screens are arranged in designs of the conventional type between the upper disc and the outlet for reducing noises. The effect is a certain flow stabilization. However, there is still room for further reduction in the noise level especially during the throttling and shutting phases of operation of the faucet valve.